1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bottle cap assembly for bottles required to alternate between being open and closed during use, such as a small water bottle. More particular, the present invention relates to a bottle cap assembly with a retaining means for a detached cap portion of the bottle cap assembly. Additionally, the present invention also relates to the method of using the bottle cap assembly.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
Bottled beverages and other bottle-type containers commonly use a disposable bottle cap assembly. The assembly seals the contents in the bottle until the bottle is opened for use. The bottle cap assembly includes a cap portion and an anchor portion. The cap portion unscrews from the bottle and detaches from the anchor portion, when the bottle is initially opened for use. To re-seal the bottle, the cap portion threadedly engages the top of the bottle again. The cap portion cannot re-attach to the anchor member. The bottle can be sealed and unsealed by the cap portion throughout the use of bottle, for example, until the entire liquid beverage is consumed.
As shown, in FIG. 1, the prior art bottle assembly 1 includes an anchor means 2 and a cap portion 3. The cap portion 3 unscrews from the threaded portion 5 of the bottle 4, and there is nothing to hold the cap portion 3. The cap portion 3 may be lost and easily separated from the anchor means 2 locked onto the bottle 4.
With the loose cap portion, the repeated sealing and unsealing increase the risk of misplacing the cap portion. The bottle cannot be sealed and unsealed without the cap portion. Another consequence of the loose cap portion is environmental pollution. The separation of the bottle and the cap portion is that the cap portion is less likely to be recycled with the bottle. Unlike the attached anchor member, the cap portion is no longer associated with the bottle. More people recycle the bottles after use, and the cap portion is forgotten. The number of discarded bottle caps can be a burden on the environment. Unlike pop-top cans with the pop tab attached to the can, the entire bottle assembly is not easily or routinely recycled.
In the past, various patents have been issued in the field of bottle caps. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,704,100 (the '100 patent), issued on Mar. 15, 1955 to Freeman teaches a bottle cap that has a means for storage and attachment of the cap when it is removed. The cap has a female connector, shown as reference numeral 20 in FIGS. 1 and 2, as an insert hole. A male connector, represented by reference numeral 15 as a protruding peg, extends outwardly from a position adjacent the top of the bottle.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0134112, published on May 28, 2009 to Reeves similarly discloses a baby bottle with a cap that is attachable to the side of the bottle. Referring to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the bottle has a male connector represented by reference numeral 51 extending outwardly from a side of the bottle. The bottle cap has a female connector, represented by reference numeral 52 extending from a top thereof. FIGS. 2A through 2D show various alternative embodiments of the male and female connectors.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0152231, published on Jun. 18, 2009 to Hanson also describes a bottle with a bottle cap holder positioned adjacent the top of the bottle. Female connectors, various embodiments of which are shown in FIGS. 1A through 1F, extend outwardly from the side of the bottle. The bottom, open portion of the bottle cap is received in the female connectors. The bottle cap may have a lip extending outwardly therefrom to ensure secure placement within the female connectors, as shown in FIG. 2A. The bottle cap is completely detached from the bottle for re-association with the female connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,306,483, issued on Feb. 28, 1967 to Bellafiore, describes an attachable captive cap device, wherein the cap is captured by an elastic tab with one end attached to the bottle. The cap is suspended from the tab for maintaining the cap with the bottle. The attachment to the cap includes a male connector on the top of the cap and a female connector on an end of the elastic tab. Similarly, the male-female attachment is again disclosed by the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,402,844, issued on Sep. 24, 1968 to Chin and U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,106, issued on Sep. 14, 1993 to Takacs, each disclose bottle assemblies to retain the removable cap portion. In both patents, the bottle has a cap-shaped cavity on the bottom of the bottle, so that the cap can be stored in this cavity when the bottle is opened for consumption of the contents.
Similarly, U.S. Publication No. 2008/0142466, published on Jun. 19, 2006, for Balitski and U.S. Publication No. 2006/0249471, published on Nov. 9, 2006 for Leposavic et al., each teach bottle assemblies to retain the removable cap portion in a cavity on the side of the bottle. The cavities are used to store the cap portions, when the bottle is open. The cavity is embedded into the shape of the bottle, and the cap portions are removably housed within such cavities.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bottle cap assembly that retains a detached cap portion.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bottle cap assembly that maintains the cap portion with the bottle during sealing and un-sealing of the bottle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a removable and replaceable cap portion.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.